This is the most sinful chocolate dessert I have made in a long long long long, well you get the picture.  It is a dark chocolate and caramel pudding with shortbread layers.  I was not able to get a pic of the layers because my family practically inhaled this dessert.  I purposefully added small bits of chocolate into the pudding right before I plated it.  It was a pleasant surprise to have the contrasts of the smooth pudding, shortbread, and chocolate bits.  

It's all research

Boothill Dodge City Kansas

     


















As you can see our family history is a history filled with outlaws. It is eery how comfortable my husband and son look behind bars.

     This was a trip to Boothill, Dodge City, Kansas.  It is one of the original jail cells that is left standing.  These cells held many infamous outlaws in their day.  My husband claims that he was Billy the Kid in a former life and as we walked around he would reminisce about the good ole days.  He tells these stories very convincingly and our son was buying it hook, line, and sinker.  

     Outside of the fort there is an old steam engine and train depot.  The kids climbed all over that thing.  They could not believe that people used to travel in it.  You can still catch the train in Dodge city and travel to Dallas, TX or up in Missouri.  They even have sleeper cars.  

     Now as we were touring Boothill my son asked us if we had to use the bathroom in an outhouse, if we had electricity when we were little, and if we had to ride horses everywhere.  I just thought to myself, it's official I am now an old parent, next stop the tween years.  The difference between now and the tween years is that right now I am smart.  Wow, this is going to be fun. 

Bellied up to the bar

     Of course we had to stop in the saloon.  We missed the cancan girls but were just in time for some ice cold sasparilla (rootbeer).  The kids thought that this was the most awesome part of the trip.  I just love this picture, she looks like she is having a cold one after a long hard day.  I do believe she has seen this pose before. LOL!    

     I didn't realize that Kansas had such a rich history.  Yes I am from Texas and am a bit of a snob but I am learning to appreciate other states.  SSH, don't tell my fellow Texans.  I have to research in top secret.  They must never know....

Mama Duck without her ducklings

The picture above was found on urbanfamily's flickr photostream.  

     I am feeling very melancholy tonight.  You see my kids have gone to stay with their grandparents for a couple of days in Texas.  A few years ago my husband was transferred to Kansas and we left our home in Texas.  Up until that point my kids had the wonderful privilege of living a few minutes from both sets of grandparents, their aunt, their uncle, and 5 cousins.  For the last two years I have not been home without my kids, well wait Christmas 2008 they were gone a week but I was heavily sedated due to a serious surgery.  So technically I don't remember them being gone.  

     

IMG00417

    We left home this morning and headed for Oklahoma City.  My daughter complained of a tummy ache but ate breakfast so I didn't think anything of it.  An hour and half down the road she stopped talking and just laid her head back in her seat.  Though I thought this to be abnormal I thought that maybe due to the time change and early hour she was tired.  She told Dad that she needed to throw up.  This is not good.  This kid can projectile like no other.  We stop at a station and she is shaking like a leaf on a tree.  I do the mother fever test and yep, it's positive.    We decided to go ahead and meet the inlaws in OK City and bring my daughter back with us.  We stop to eat and she only wants water.  Not good.  She sleeps on and off but wakes and complains of a sore throat.  Not getting better.  

     We arrive at the top secret meeting point AKA Burger King and her mood brightens some.  We go in and she orders mac and cheese.  Things are looking up.  She takes 2 bites and says she is done.  Now she IS a bit of a drama queen so I watch her when she isn't looking.  She coughs and winces, holding her throat.  Now I ask my husband for advice and I get the standard, "It's up to you.  Your the mom."  Lord bless him.  As I am deliberating inwardly my daughter looks up at me and says, "Mom, all I have to do is get through 4 days."  My 4 year old daughter is saying this.  I am still in shock.  She pretends to put on a happy face because she really wants to go to Ma and Poppy's.  

     Well Ma and I head to Walmart to get Ma up to speed on what little kids take these days.  Thermometer, Tylenol Cold, Ibuprofen, directions on how much and how often to take it, and sore throat spray in hand Ma gets in her car and speeds away with my babies.  Ok maybe it wasn't that dramatic but hey this is my blog.  As a normal person I know that my mother in law will take very good care of my daughter.  As a mother, that is another story.  I mean as we drove away I couldn't help but think, "You are a terrible mother!  You just sent your sick daughter away to get better without her mom.  What kind of mother are you?!"  Yes my inner dialogue can be quiet harsh.  

     Needless to say, everyone arrived safely to their destinations.  My daughter said that her throat still hurt and I immediately think "Meningitis!"  and my dear sweet husband says, "Amy, it is probably how she held her head in the car as she slept."  Yes he tends to be the rational one.  My son said, "Mom she started talking, ALOT,  so I think she feels better."  

     *SIGH*  Three days and counting.....